This invention relates to the field of folding pocket knives, and in particular, to a device removably attached to the knife blade for assisting in opening the blade when the knife is withdrawn from a holster or pocket.
Handheld folding knives have been used for many years for self defense, especially by police and military personnel for self protection and to thwart an attack by an assailant. The folded knife is particularly advantageous for self defense because it occupies a small amount of space in one's pocket and also is totally safe to handle when in folded condition as the blade is securely stored in the handle.
Opening a conventional folded knife is slow and requires two hands, one holding the knife and the other engaging the blade during opening. Slowness in opening a conventional pocket knife can be a significant hindrance in a stressful situation. Stress increases the difficulty of performing ordinary motor skills. Advanced motor skills often require extensive and dedicated training. When an individual is confronted with a situation that demands stress management and the execution of advanced motor skills, a successful outcome becomes a problem.
Using a folded knife as a weapon requires withdrawing the knife from a contained position on the user's body. Rapidly drawing the weapon from the contained position requires skill. Even with skilled training, drawing a weapon without distraction and under stress is difficult to perform consistently. Drawing a weapon while managing a physical attack is significantly stressful and severely complicates the drawing process. This in turn increases the risk of injury or death. In practice, the weapon draw is measured not in seconds, but in fractions of a second. Therefore, facilitating the weapon draw will increase survivability. A means for enabling the simultaneous drawing and opening of a folded knife during a weapon's draw will provide a one-step weapon's draw and will significantly quicken a weapon draw.
Thus, there is a need for providing a means for modifying a conventional folding knife so that the folding knife will automatically and speedily open during removal of the knife from a holster or pocket; that requires only one hand to open; and that does not require any manipulation of the knife during removal other than the simple withdrawal of the knife from a holster, pocket or similar container.
The basic concept behind a folding knife is that it can be stored in a pocket or container. When the knife is withdrawn, it is then opened for use. Historically, a folding knife blade is opened from the knife handle. Opening a folding knife has evolved from a two-handed operation to a single-handed operation.
There are several ways to open a folding knife with one hand. The most common single-hand technique is to use the thumb to engage some geometry that is designed to increase the thumb's leverage on the blade. These geometries come in many shapes and sizes. Some geometries are formed out of the blade itself while others are attachments which are fastened to the blade in various ways. It is not uncommon to provide a means for applying additional pressure with a finger or thumb directly to the blade, the means preventing injury to the user from the blade.
Another single-handed opening technique is the wrist flick method. This method is facilitated by loosening the blade tension so that a quick flick of the wrist swings the blade into an open position.
Yet another method for single-handed opening of the folding knife is the classic switch blade. By depressing a release button on the folding knife, a retaining latch is opened from the spring-loaded blade causing the blade to spring open.
The opening method of interest with the present invention is a snagging technique. This method is based upon a geometry designed to snag a container, such as a pocket or holster, while the folded knife is being drawn out. The geometry provided automatically leverages the blade open as it is drawn. The inherent characteristic of the snagging technique is speed of opening. The prior art discloses snagging geometries formed as part of the blade itself. Applicant has provided examples in his Information Disclosure. However, nothing in the prior art provides geometries in the form of a removable attachment specifically adapted for opening a blade by snagging a pocket or container while the knife is being draw.
The purpose of the present invention is to permit a folding knife to be drawn as quickly as a fixed blade knife. By attaching the present invention to a folding knife, this objective is attained.